Tensile and puncture behaviour of a woven geotextile submitted to laboratory mechanical damage tests with incinerator bottom ash

Abstract

Incinerator bottom ash can be used as recycled aggregate in some engineering applications, where it may be in contact with geotextiles. In this work, a woven geotextile (made of high-density polyethylene filaments) was submitted to mechanical damage under repeated loading tests with different aggregates, namely: incinerator bottom ash, two aggregates of natural origin (tout-venant and gravel 4/8) and a synthetic aggregate (corundum). The damage suffered by the geotextile was assessed by monitoring changes on its tensile and puncture behaviour. The mechanical damage under repeated loading tests induced some reductions in the tensile and puncture properties of the geotextile. The impact of IBA was not exaggeratedly pronounced, and did not differ greatly from that of tout-venant, which was the least damaging aggregate. Gravel 4/8 had a slightly higher impact than incinerator bottom ash, with corundum being the aggregate that induced the most pronounced reductions in the tensile and puncture properties of the geotextile. The use of incinerator bottom ash as recycled aggregate in contact with geotextiles may be a viable option, promoting its valorisation and contributing to more sustainable geotechnical engineering.